[EN] When on Monday we arrived to some eatery it was already after 10.00pm. Smoke which was visible behind the trees wasn’t announcing a good sleep but that place was at least safe. That day was really nice with break during the hottest part in air-condition and with wifi, road had a shoulder and quite light traffic took us to Pekan. Only once we had a thick smoke on the road but it finished after a few km. But as we found out later that wasn’t the last time on the east coast. In the evening we met a Swiss girl who was cycling since 1,5 year and now she is cycling alone around Malaysia. We had a 15min conversation and after that we cycled in our directions. When there was an enter to the beach we decided to stop there. But Chinese south sea in that part of the year is very dissapointing. Muddy water, plenty of rubbish on the beach and strong wind which makes sea very rough. Pitching a tent in that wind is not very easy. When after dinner it became darker and fire of burning fields became visible we had a difficult choice to be made. Stay or cycle further in darkness. We didn’t really know how far that fire was, but it didn’t look good. Finally we decided that sleeping in a forest when there is a fire on the other side of the road is not the best idea and we began packing back. When we took all our stuff out from the tent wind blow our tent away even though it was attached by pins to the ground and we had to run after it for over 50m… Generally we are not cycling when it’s dark at all, we think it’s very dangerous even if you have lights and high visible vests so when some cars were coming we were going out from the road and we were continuing when the road was empty. We even felt like in a good olt times when we were walking in the night along the roads while hitchhiking… On that way we cycled 15km and we arrived to that eatery where they allowed us to pitch our tent next to it.

[EN] In the morning we woke up in a grey world. And it was gray for a few long hours, because wind stopped and burning bushes next to the road were smoking and smoking. We were cycling ahead and smoke unpleasantly was getting to our eyes and was entering through cover from shirt. Eyes were stinging and throat was irritated. Once from the car which was passing us some woman gave us a face mask and even offered a coffee. A little thing but really nice. For most of the time we couldn’t see antything further than 500m, and we really had a hope that it will finish soon. Maybe one more km, maybe two. Maybe when we arrive to the city… When after 65km we thought that it will never finish, the smoke was gone like cutted by scissors. Not far away we have seen a beautiful sign “camping site” and we just followed it. Actually that was great to finish cycling day before noon and spent rest of the day on relaxing, looking on a rough sea and cook. But we had a smell of smoke in our noses to the end of the day… We don’t know how it happend that everytime when we preparing some food, local cats are appearing from everywhere. In Tanah Rata for example one of cats became that befriended that he slept in the top of our tent and the only thing which left after that were traces of his feets on our tent bedroom. And this one just demanded to be stroked in very direct way – was just jumping on our knees, was pushing his head between hands and peremptorily was doing… mrauuuuuu…

[EN] In next day, when we turned away from the coast and we were cycling towards Johor Bahru the view became like from the worst nightmare. Oil palm plantations again… but this time instead of normal fence or as it was before without any, it appeared with electric fence this time. To be honest when we hear oil palm it makes us sick… We wanted to cycle as much as possible that day to arrive early to Johor Bahri in a following day so we were pushing during hottest part of the day and after 140km we were quite tired. In Malaysia there is usually no chance to pitch a tent next to the police are. No and that’s it. This time we made a camp next to some forest office building. The guy just told us to leave in the morning before 8am. No problem!

[EN] As we promised we left our camp spot at 7.00am, 50km to Johor Bahru we’ve done in early morning and we could enjoy a free coffee refill until 11.00 in Mac, we found a nice hotel and in the hottest part of the day we cycled to see the bigest city we’ve been in Malaysia so far. In the evening we found some nice vegeterian restauraunt because we had some things to celebrate – 5000km cycled during that trip and 10000km which we cycled with panniers already… both just displayed in that day on our bike computers.

[EN] And on Friday morning, when finally we had a chance to sleep a bit longer, we crossed the border to the different world. To the world where huge buildings coexist with a lot of nature, where is no rubish on the streets and where you can watch the city from a rooftop swimming pool.

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Wow serious conditions you have been through!!I admire you both!You know the beach you were tying to pull the coconut down!!!Hehehehe I still laugh when i think of you young Kasia,the beach is worse than your photo,so so so much rubbish has been washed ashore,rubber,ropes,slippers,trash,not nice at all!

Love and hugzzwe slowly prepare for Mykonos,looking forward to seeing you there!!!